Doesn't Mean You Stop Trying
by Marymel
Summary: Spoilers for 13x09, "Strip Maul." Brass talks to D.B. about his daughter.


**I don't own CSI.**

**I really like how Brass was featured in the episode, "Strip Maul," and I just had to write a post-ep for it. If Morgan and Ecklie can have a second chance, why can't Brass and Ellie?! It may happen, and it may not...but this is a conversation that might have taken place between Brass and Russell after the events in episode 13x09. It does contain spoilers, and please review!**

Jim Brass sat at his desk and just stared in front of him. He now knew his daughter Ellie was in Vegas, but didn't know where. For all he knew, she was still hooking, degrading herself more than him, if that was her intent. Jim had always loved his daughter, even if she wasn't biologically his. He always thought his ex-wife Nancy was the one who turned her against him, but after the hooker was busted wearing the engagement ring he'd engraved for her-saying Ellie had sold it to her for $200-now he wasn't so sure.

His eyes drifted to the picture he kept on his desk of Ellie when she was about five years old. Tears came to his eyes when he looked at the smiling face of the child, knowing that was possibly the last time she ever told her father she loved him.

D.B. Russell stood in the doorway and watched as his colleague stared at the picture framed on his desk. He cleared his throat and Jim looked up. "Is this a bad time?"

"No," Jim said with a heavy sigh. "Just thinking."

"Morgan said your ex-wife's ring was found on that hooker, Chastity," D.B. said with a sad smile.

Jim shook his head. "You know when we split up, Nancy wanted to give the ring back to me. I told her no. I thought she should give it to our daughter, Ellie." He chuckled sadly. "I was naive enough to think she'd find someone and use it at her own wedding...maybe even walk her down the aisle."

D.B. smiled. "It's not too much to ask."

Jim raised his eyebrows, realizing that D.B. had never known Ellie or her past with her father. "Yeah, it is. I once told her she was disposable, and she's always tried to do anything she could to hurt me." Sighing deeply, Jim added, "It used to be...I thought, anyway...that it was to get back at me for the divorce. You know, not keeping the family together. But now...I just think she's been angry so long...I can't get through to her."

D.B. nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry."

Jim smiled sympathetically at the CSI supervisor. "I think...I think I lost her a long time ago."

Shaking his head, D.B. said, "Doesn't mean you stop trying." Jim looked down at his desk. "Look," D.B. continued, "I may not know about your past with Ellie, and this may sound like something off of 'It's A Wonderful Life' or something...but you are a good cop, Jim...and a good man. Maybe Ellie just needs to hit rock bottom before she can find herself."

"I keep thinking she stays at rock bottom," Jim said with a sad chuckle. Looking at the man who had become a friend, Jim said, "I don't know if we'll ever resolve anything."

D.B. smiled thoughtfully. "Doesn't mean you stop trying."

Jim smiled. "No, it doesn't. Even if she gave up on herself, I can't give up on her."

"That's what a good parent does," D.B. said.

Smiling thoughtfully, Jim said, "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Anyway," D.B. said as he stood behind the chair at Jim's desk, "I thought you'd want the report of the case." He handed the detective the folder with the report.

"Thanks," Jim said. As he opened the folder, he said, "Oh, by the way, how's Maya?"

"Good, thanks," D.B. said. "She and Katie want to come to Vegas for Christmas."

"That's good," Jim said.

D.B. stared quizzically at the detective. "Why don't you have Christmas dinner with us? My wife makes the most amazing cornbread stuffing."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude..."

"No, you will not be intruding. If it were any trouble, I wouldn't have asked."

Jim smiled and chuckled. "I just might take you up on that."

D.B. smiled and nodded. "I'll tell Barbara to set an extra place."

Jim smiled as the supervisor walked out. He privately envied the relationship D.B. had with his family, how they always talked and loved each other very much. He always wished he could have had that with Ellie. As many times as Ellie treated him like trash and degraded herself, he never gave up on her. Maybe she would get a chance to clean herself up and mend her relationship with her father, and maybe it would never happen. But Jim would always love her and want to be her father. He knew rebuilding a relationship would be anything but easy, but he was always willing to try.

As he picked up his cell phone to call Sofia and ask if she wanted to get some dinner, he thought about what Catherine had said when she left, that he and all the team were family. He knew he had a family with the CSIs and fellow detectives, but he never stopped hoping that his own family would heal.

And he hoped D.B. was right...that maybe he would get the miracle of knowing his daughter and having her love him back.

**The End.**


End file.
